Among the shooting stars
by Nymus
Summary: This is a story that happened a long, long time ago. So long ago that details like names, places, and dates were lost even before our grandmas heard it from their parents.
1. Intro

**Disclaimer: Characters belong to Dreamworks and Netflix.**

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 **INTRO**

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 _This is a story that happened a long, long time ago. So long ago that details like names, places, and dates were lost even before our grandmas heard it from their parents. The story, however, keeps being told year after year, night after night, especially on the dark winter ones, when the snow falls unrelenting and the wind howls so angrily that you can easily mistake it for a wild beast waiting at your door. For it's a story about innocence and blood, pain and hope, tragedy and love. And, as many other stories do, it starts when there was not one, but two boys._

 _One of them was a careless being, a free soul some would have said. A son of the sea, born at its shore, and raised near the gulls' cries and the murmur of the waves. And like the ocean, he could rage or offer peace, the dichotomy resting in peace inside him._

 _The other one was a victim of the world's injustice, one struck by tragedy from a young age but who refused to give up. A skinny rascal who grew up to be everything the world tried to deny him, strong and hardened at the sides, but still able to give kindness, in his own way._

 _Their paths would have never crossed if it weren't for the curse that touched them both. Their lives were so different that, even if they had met each other, it would have been nothing but a passing glance, a face lost between every other one. Nevertheless, the fate written in the stars works in mysterious ways and so, it was their luck that the push that set these two boys on their way would come from a bite._


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Characters belong to Dreamworks and Netflix.**

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The snow was cold under his paws. His belly was empty, hungry since winter was a hard time for hunters like him. Prey liked to hide in their lairs, curling to keep the cold at bay, while he was forced to roam through the wild, hoping to find anything careless enough to leave safety and venture into the snow.

The storm had stopped a few hours ago, and the moon shone up in the sky, still almost full and threatening. To him, at least. Most people would probably think it was beautiful, but the moon had stopped being pretty for him long ago.

It was a good night, anyway. He almost felt like himself again. He was almost sure he won't fuck things up even if he happened to find a warm and tempting human being. There was enough of him in his mind to control the beast, even if his body didn't know it yet. Unless, of course, humans decided to attack him first. Please, don't let them try to hurt him. It was much harder to keep himself in check when both the beast and his instincts screamed the same. Those were the times when bad things happened. Those and full moons, but he didn't remember full moons, thankfully. He didn't want to. Ignorance was bliss.

He was as far away as he could get from any human settlement, as he did every month, so he wasn't likely to meet anyone. It was lonely at day but he preferred loneliness than the alternative. He was a monster and a murderer, but he tried to keep his death toll as low as he was able to. He wasn't gone yet. He refused to.

Deep in the forest, he felt safer, although the wild around him made it harder to remember what he was, on the worse nights. Those nights when the beast howled at his ear, and his consciousness felt small and blurry. When he had to fight his own mind, tell himself once and again who he was, hoping the constant reassurance would be enough when facing the worst. It had worked a few times. Sometimes it didn't.

He was trotting through the trees when a crunch reached his ears, making his fur stand on end. His head turned to the side, looking for the sound's source, just as the breeze changed and he could smell something else. Animal. Wild. Dangerous. And yet… He knew that scent, even if it was slightly different, with a hint of salt below the forest's smells.

A few meters away from him was a wolf. A big, bulky, grey wolf, that could have looked like any other one, if you didn't know the signs. Besides the unnatural size, there were small differences on the snout and tail, and he had seen those on himself too many times to ignore them now. The eyes, the deep blue eyes, also gave him a too human feeling. There was no doubt he was facing another victim from the bite curse. Although, the word 'victim' may be a poor judgment on his part, since, as far as he knew, the wolf could be another bloody murderer as many others he had faced before.

His teeth flashed, but he waited to see what would happen. If he could, he would prefer to avoid a fight. There was nothing to win but pain, one way or another. The wolf stared at him for a long time, the forest silent and the soft wind ruffling their fur. Time seemed to stop around them as if the world were holding its breath for them.

The waiting ended when the wolf took a few steps towards him and he growled. He wasn't sure what to expect, so his reaction was more a reflex than anything else. The warning worked anyway and the wolf froze in place, the big head tilting to the side in a too human gesture. The neck was still covered, of course, and so he knew the wolf didn't exactly trust him. He was curious about the other one, but his whole life had taught him caution and the curse just made it worse. The beast inside him was longing for the warm blood he could smell, but even its savagery was tempered, for once. It recognized a strong enemy when it saw one.

The wolf didn't look like a risk, but he wasn't willing to bet on it. He growled again and took a few steps back, his eyes never leaving the blue ones. His retreat wasn't elegant but it worked, and besides the wolf seemed to take the hint, staying in place. Once he couldn't see the other one anymore, he turned around and ran away as fast as he was able to. He didn't bother to cover his tracks in the snow since he could already feel the morning coming in his bones, and surely the other wolf could too. His priority was to get back to the cave where he hid his clothes before he turned back to a very naked human laying in the snow.

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Towns were a dangerous place. They were loud, full of people, stinky and busy. Townspeople never liked strangers, always looking for any small detail, any slip that would announce the real intentions under new faces. People always looked at him as if they were expecting him to bite their head off, to rip the heart out of their chests and eat their guts. They hated him even before knowing what he really was. They would kill him with no doubts, no mercy if they knew the truth.

And yet, Keith craved for the greasy smell of too many human bodies huddled together. It was gross, but it was also a reminder that he wasn't just a monster. It made him remember that he was, still, human and that he shouldn't give up so easily to the beast whispering in his ear. That his need to kill, his bloodlust, was forced onto him, a curse that he didn't want and would never embrace. He could control himself better if he saw their faces. If he knew that even the intoxicated hunter had a family waiting for him at home. He couldn't fight the full moon, there was no one in the world who could, but he would give his best to stay as human as he could every other night. And every day.

Even if they gave him cold glares and whispered at his back, people helped him to come back to himself. To his body, arms and legs, instead of fur and claws.

That night was the first one since the full moon when he could retain not only his mind but his body too. He was clean, until the next month. It had been a rough morning, the transformation itself being painful and then the walk through the forest, his senses still sensitive after the night hunting and the forest ground full of snow, cold enough to hurt his feet through the boots. His mind had been circling around too, the wolf thoughts slipping between his own, confusing his head after the unsettling late night encounter. It had taken him some time to remember and convince himself that he was better with clothes, that he shouldn't hide in the forest and there would be no problems if he just walked into town. It had also been harder to remember that not everyone wanted to hurt him, that not every sudden movement was an attack, and that people looking him in the eye was not a challenge.

The first steps into town had been difficult, a low rumble in his chest threatening to leave his lips every time someone looked at him. The innkeeper's contemptuous voice when Keith entered the tavern had the beast suggesting he would look better with his throat open. The ugly glare he got from every patron on the dining room when he was looking for a seat made his skin crawl.

However, when the sun sunk at the horizon and he found himself fed, warm, and surrounded by people, most of his feral thoughts had left him. There was still a soft whisper claiming he was better in the dark, alone, hunting his prey, but that one thought never really left and it was tolerable.

Or, it was, until his nose caught a smell, one that he had held before, strong and musky like his own. His head turned around looking for its source, finding a pair of blue eyes that he had seen before, on a different face. Those eyes were also looking at him, conflicting emotions showing on them. Probably the same ones he was feeling.

The noise, the people, the whole tavern seemed to disappear, exactly how last night the forest had become blurry around them. There was nothing but the silent observation between them both, judging each other without daring to move until someone stood in between them and Keith blinked. When that person moved, the other one wasn't at the door anymore. Keith turned back to his meal's leftovers, all his other senses on high alert. He wasn't sure what to do. It was the first time he met someone like him while in human form.

"Can I sit here?" A voice asked near him, while a tanned hand gestured at the empty chair in front of his own.

"It's free," Keith said, shrugging his shoulders. He knew his words implied a consent to interact that he wasn't sure he wanted to give, but he was also curious and couldn't stop himself.

"Great." The man took a seat in front of him, and Keith sneaked a peek. He had already seen his eyes, both the wolf and the human ones, but he now noticed his hair was brown. That would explain why his wolf was gray instead of Keith's pitch black. He also had attractive features on his face and seemed a bit on the lanky side.

"The name's Lance." The man stretched his arm to offer a handshake while smiling. A guarded smile, but a smile anyway. "What's yours?"

"Keith." He answered after a moment, taking the hand with hesitation. It was warm, even when he had just come from the cold outside.

Once the handshake was done, Keith looked back at his plate. A slightly uncomfortable silence settled between them, while Keith played with the remainder of his food and ignored the other man. In the end, Lance cleared his throat and said.

"I want to talk to you about last night." Of course he wanted to.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He tried, a futile effort as Lance's next words proved.

"Come on, man, don't play the fool with me! You know I'm talking about the whole wo-" Keith's hand flew to his mouth, silencing him before more words could slip from his mouth.

"Fine. We can talk about it. But not here." Not there, where anyone could hear them.

"Where then, pretty boy?" The nickname made him wince but there was no backing away now. He couldn't run this time.

"I have a room for tonight, we can talk there." Keith stood up, while the other one faked surprise.

"Woah, aren't you going to offer me something to eat before?" He said, a hand over his heart as if he were truly shocked, although Keith could see the mirth in his eyes. It made him huff, and turn around, making his way to the stairs leading to the second floor.

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Once they were inside his room, Keith felt a bit safer. Not totally, because there was a stranger in his room, someone he couldn't trust, but now, at least, no one could hear them talk about the curse.

"So. What do you want to talk about?" His back was turned to Lance, his other senses on alert. If he was a threat, Keith preferred to know it as fast as possible. No answer came for a moment, so he looked back at him.

"I'm not totally sure," The man said, rubbing his neck with his right hand. "It's just… I was curious, I have never seen someone before… And you ran away before I could say anything. Not that I could say anything last night but… You know."

Keith blinked because he knew indeed, but he had never seen anyone talk so much in so little time. It took him a bit to think about what to answer, but Lance didn't seem to be in a hurry.

"It's dangerous." He settled into that, in the end. "Not everyone is nice. I didn't want to fight you if you were one of them."

"What do you mean 'one of them'?" The question was unexpected since Keith thought the other man was already aware of the world they lived in. He answered him anyway, even if he was a bit confused.

"Other people, people like us. Some of them are only the beast. I thought you knew since you were bitten." That assumption made Lance uncomfortable. He shifted on his site, changing his weight from one leg to another.

"I can't blame them, it was my fault actually. I went outside at night, even when my family told not to. People had been talking about something dangerous lurking in the dark, and I was curious but…" He stopped there, his explanation incomplete, but Keith knew well enough how the story would have ended. However, something bugged him.

"Was it a full moon?" He asked, surprising Lance a bit.

"No." Keith had guessed so. "It was a few nights after. I don't remember how many. It didn't matter at that time."

"Then it could have been avoided. I think you know it well, at least if you're saying the truth. Some of the others…" Keith hated how his voice wavered there, but soon controlled himself. "They don't really care. They just feed their hunger and… And sometimes they just bite for fun. They enjoy seeing you struggle against their teeth, and even more when you realize what is happening.."

"I've never thought about it." He was looking at his feet now, either embarrassed or shocked by Keith's words. Keith felt a bit bad for him. He seemed so naive. "Never thought someone could actually want to curse you. I wouldn't wish this on anyone. The sole idea..."

Keith only nodded, rubbing one arm with his hand, not sure of what to say. He didn't want to impose this curse on anyone, but he had met more than one person that would do so gladly. They were always awful to deal with.

"Hey," Lance said after a while, breaking the silence. "How were you bitten?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Keith answered immediately. The story always made him feel vulnerable, even just thinking about it. He wasn't going to share something so important with a stranger, and besides, he had already said too much.

"Oh. Sorry."

After that, Lance fell silent. He seemed to be thinking a lot of things, from the way his brow furrowed and relaxed, just to furrow again a moment later. Keith thought it was funny, but he didn't say anything, waiting for the other one to let go of whatever was on his mind. He must have been craving human contact even more than he had thought since he was latching onto a stranger presence as much as he could.

"So, you know…I had never considered there can be something worse than me outside." Lance finally said, his voice resolute. "It put things in a new perspective. And, well, since we have already met… Would you like to travel together?"

The offer took Keith by surprise, and he barely avoided his mouth falling open. He thought his ears were fooling him, but when the other one didn't correct himself, Keith was forced to think about it.

"You know nothing about me." Was the first thing he managed to say, because Lance was so naive and careless, even after what he had just told him.

"I guess not but… you are not 'one of them', right?" Keith nodded to him. He wanted to think he wasn't. "Then it should be enough. We can protect each other if we happen to find one of the wild ones."

"I don't think it's a good idea." Lance deflated when he heard him say that, but he was soon back with a lower blow.

"Don't you get lonely?" His voice was just a bit more than a whisper but reached Keith with no problems. "The world is so big when you're alone. I've never realized how big it was before I had to leave."

And Keith wanted so hard to accept, to latch onto the companionship offer but interacting with people had never gone well for him. He was better off alone. And yet… He couldn't deny that things had been worse for him lately. That it was getting harder and harder to get a hang of himself, to draw the line that kept him away from the beast. Being with someone else could actually help him retain his humanity a bit better, even if he didn't want to admit it.

"I don't know you." He said, mostly to buy some time for his heart to settle. It was running wild with the new possibilities this had to offer, both good and bad. He wondered if Lance could hear it beating inside him.

"Well, you can get to know me if we travel together." His smile was almost blinding, even if there was a lingering doubt under it. He didn't really think Keith would accept, though he was doing his best to convince him otherwise.

"I'm not sure. How do I know you're saying the truth?"

"The truth about what?" Lance seemed really confused. He was either sincere or a really good liar. Although Keith was also amazing at finding liars. He sighed, his hand covering his eyes to hide them from the pleading look in Lance's eyes. It was so hard to find a good reason to reject his offer...

"Okay." He relented at last, defeated but also with a small hope that he didn't want to feel. "I guess I can always dump you later if you happen to be an awful traveling companion."

"Seriously?" A light appeared on the blue eyes that were looking at him, while a big smile spread on the man's face. "Awesome!"

Lance was on his feet immediately, almost bouncing in place. He seemed to want to get closer to Keith, but something in his face must have dissuaded him because he stood in place and said instead.

"I'm so glad we met!" And he really had to mean it, from the way he was almost exploding with energy. "We'll get through this together!"

"Don't make me regret accepting," Keith said, an empty threat that he needed to drop just to feel better with himself.

"I won't!" Lance made his way to the door, hesitating a bit with his hand on the knob. "So, see you tomorrow morning?"

"Sure. I'll be downstairs."

"Gotcha." With that last word, the man left and Keith was finally alone.

He threw himself on the creaky bed, his face looking at the ceiling and wondering if he would come to regret his decision.


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Characters belong to Dreamworks and Netflix.**

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Settling down into a routine wasn't as hard as Keith had thought it would, but it was still difficult for both of them. They were still strangers, sticking together just because it was useful to both of them. There were no significant feelings, and therefore it was difficult to adjust and accept their habits and quirks.

Lance was loud and liked to talk about everything that crossed their path, and the constant chattering drove Keith insane. It made him want to scream, and sometimes he did, just so the other one would shut up for a bit. It never lasted, however, Lance often retaliated with his own which resulted in a useless argument between them. Sometimes they said things they didn't mean, just to get the upper hand in the dispute and usually they didn't apologize later, not with words at least.

Also, Lance had the need to talk with everyone, every time they were in a town. Never about important things, it was mostly about directions or maps, but his small talk still made Keith nervous. He could admit it was useful, since people softened up to Lance and, by extent, also to Keith. It saved them the nasty looks and rude gestures, but it also had Keith always on edge. He was waiting for the moment someone would point at them, or Lance would slip a comment that would make people suspicious, or someone wouldn't like something about their story or… Anything that could go wrong.

Maybe there was a lot of paranoia involved, but it had saved Keith more than once so he refused to let it go. Lance would tell him to relax, and Keith would only hiss and ignore him which would either make Lance laugh or upset him, depending on his mood. Sometimes, when Lance was in a good mood, he laughed and threw an arm around Keith's shoulders dragging him closer to tell him he had to learn to enjoy small moments. Keith liked it, the feel of someone else on his skin but he faked annoyance to keep his pride. And, besides, he didn't fully trust the other man yet. Even if he had proved to be sincere in everything he had said on their first meeting.

Fortunately, they had a whole month before the next full moon, enough to smooth over the worst of their differences and find some middle ground. For as much as Lance had come off as confident on their first meeting, he hid a lot of insecurities and awkwardness inside, and even when Keith didn't want to get involved he couldn't avoid seeing them. It put the man on a new light, one Keith wasn't sure he wanted to see.

The first big test of their still fragile relationship was when the moon rose full for the first time. Keith was very nervous the day before, his body sensitive to the weird magic that would soon claim it. His mind was also restless, jumping from one awful thought to another. He had snapped more than usual, while they made their way through the biggest forest they could find on their way. Keith was used to walking in the woods but Lance kept tripping on his own feet, even when it was mostly flat ground and they hadn't had snow in some days.

He'd apologized at first, and Keith tried to be patient but he soon got tired and told him to shut up. And he kept telling Lance to shut up until the other man seemed to catch the drill and stayed silent. At least for some time, until he stopped walking and grabbed Keith by the arm.

"Hey. It will be fine." Lance had said, and Keith shuddered. Was he being so obvious? He shook his arm to free it and refused to meet Lance's eyes.

"You don't know that," The phrase was out of his mouth before he even noticed. He hadn't meant to say it, not really, but it had been eating at him and he'd never been good at holding his tongue.

"I'm sure it will!" Lance told him, surely trying to be positive or whatever. "We've already met once like that."

"It was different. We weren't lost that time," Keith crossed his arms and looked at the ground which prompted Lance to get closer and throw an arm around his shoulders.

"True. But I think you getting overworked about it won't help at all. Wait. Do your feelings even stay the same when you transform? I've never thought about it."

It was a stupid question and Keith didn't want to answer it, so he just shook his head and pushed Lance away. Although he did have a point about his nervousness not helping the issue at hand.

"Don't be ridiculous. This is a serious problem."

"I know, but you worrying about it is not gonna fix it," He might be right but Keith wasn't going to tell him that. "Besides, what's the worst that could happen?"

And that was the main issue because Keith would have thought Lance didn't know the risk, if it weren't for the story he'd told him when they had first met. Keith was too used to blood, to the awful feeling of knowing you destroyed something precious.

"I don't want to hurt you," He said then, his words a quiet whisper almost lost in the constant hum of the woods.

"You? Hurt me? I think you are a bit too full of yourself, my friend!" Lance wiggled his eyebrows at that, always the idiot. "I can fight you any day!"

Keith couldn't believe he almost smiled at that, a joke based on the possibility of them killing each other because of a stupid instinct. He wasn't sure what it saidl about him, so he would blame Lance on that. Lance and his stupid, annoying talking that almost always managed to pull him out of his worst thoughts.

His shoulders relaxed and breathing got easier, so he tried to get back on their way, but Lance caught his hand before he could move.

"No, but seriously, Keith." He said, his thumb leaving a tiny caress on his knuckles. "I know you like your lonely, grumpy, paranoiad perspective, but try to trust me on this. It will be fine, we'll make it work. Okay?"

And Keith nodded, his eyes looking ahead as if he were trying to find a route instead of avoiding the other man.

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Next morning, when Keith woke up, the beast was growling pleased, his body hurt all around and the ground was cold under him. And Lance, unharmed Lance, was near him complaining about how bothering transformations were while he rolled his shoulders and whined. Keith wanted to hug him but, sadly, the whole touching thing was still alien to him. Instead, he threw him a pebble to shut him up.


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Characters belong to Dreamworks and Netflix.**

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The nights were still cold but the beast's fur was thick and it made things bearable. It… He couldn't really complain about winter when he barely felt it. His breathing made clouds in front of its, no, his snout. Tonight it was Keith's body, not the beast. It was an important thought, for some reason. The wolf shook his head and focused again. Follow partner's steps. They were looking for food or fun, just not any kind of fun or food. The beast wasn't sure why that was so important. Keith wasn't sure why it was so important. But it was. For some reason.

So he had to follow partner's steps in the night, looking for some prey. The other wolf was bigger but Keith had better reflexes, so they worked fine together. They had hunted something before. It had been good. The beast wanted to do it again. Keith liked partner. It, he, he made things easier. So, when a tempting smell appeared in the air, the beast was pleased.

He stopped his trotting and searched for the source. Once he found it, the beast ran towards it with barely more than a low bark to warn partner. The beast didn't look back to make sure it was following, not even once. It trusted partner. The beast ran through the trees, his paws making no sound on the ground, until it could see the prey not so far away. A human. Their prey was a human.

Humans were dangerous but this one was alone. It would stop the hunger for a while. For a moment.

The beast was ready to jump over it when partner appeared and pushed it to the side with its head. The beast growled, confused, and tried to ambush the human again, but partner was in the way. The beast tried to circle around but partner didn't let it and even growled in return. The beast was confused. Their prey will leave! No food was never good, so why was partner in the way? The beast barked, and partner barked back, louder. There were some sounds coming from where the human was before, so the beast tried again to pass around and attack. It didn't want it to escape.

Partner pushed again and the beast took a step back. The smell was getting away and the beast wanted to chase it but he shouldn't. He wasn't sure why. Partner looked at him with caution and then something made sense. Right. No following humans. No chasing humans. It was important. For some reason. Keith sat on the ground to make it harder for him to give in to the hunt. Partner got closer and nipped gently at his ear. Right. No chasing humans tonight.

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Morning came alive with a gray light. Clouds were low in the horizon and the sun rose behind them, doing its best to wake the land. Keith was laying on his side when he woke up, his left arm tingling under the weight of his body. He blinked as the memories from last night came back to his mind, some of them blurrier than others.

He sat up abruptly when a particular one showed its head. His heart was racing and the empty space around them did little to calm him down. He could feel his blood rushing at his ears, drowning almost everything else as he stood up. It was only routine that led him to search for his clothes because his head was running in circles around one specific idea.

"You okay?" Lance asked from behind him. Keith didn't bother to answer him, putting on his cold clothes with fast movements.

He kept ignoring him until Lance caught his arm and he snatched it back with enough strength to make him stumble.

"Don't touch me!" Keith screamed, harsh and strong. Lance seemed taken aback by his tone, the hand reaching for him falling to his side.

"What's the problem?" He asked, his voice wary.

"What's- What's the problem, you say!" Keith exploded, unable to contain his feelings anymore.

"Yeah, I… I don't know why you are so worked up."

"Are you kidding me? Do you want to make fun of me?" He wouldn't have picked Lance to make jokes about something important to him, but maybe he'd been wrong.

"No, I-"

"You were there too! Why are you asking?"

"I'm not sure what you're talking about." Not sure, he said, not sure. How could he be 'not sure' when it was so obvious to Keith.

"There was someone there." That only seemed to confuse Lance more.

"Yes, but-"

"There was someone there and I wanted to hurt them. I wanted- I wanted to eat them! You know that!" Saying it out loud make it worse, that's why he hadn't wanted to talk about it in the first place.

"Keith, it's not-"

"Then why are you asking what happened, you know what happened!"

"Okay. I get it." Lance took a deep breath, looking at him with cautious eyes "You need to calm down. Nothing happened and-"

"It's easy for you to say that, you and your perfect score! You and your clean hands! You and your naiveté! You don't know nothing about life!" Keith knew his voice was bordering on hysteria, but the words didn't seem to stop falling from his lips.

"What exactly is that supposed to mean!?" Lance was getting defensive and Keith had half a mind to try and control himself, but it was drowned under the sound of his blood running fast by his ear.

"It means you don't get to tell me to calm down when you don't know anything about this awful curse! You walk around like you can control or fix anything, just because you have never lost anyone, never hurt anyone!" His breath hitched, and his heart beat hard on his chest.

"I didn't mean it like that." And Keith knew, of course he knew, but with the beast still too present in his mind, he couldn't stop himself, couldn't backtrack.

"Of course you don't. You never mean to do anything bad, you are always so good."

"Keith, stop." There was hurt on his face, and Keith knew he would later regret his words but his blood was still boiling, the beast howled and he just wanted to make it stop.

"You know nothing! You say you understand but you don't, because you are just too good and too naive and too everything! You haven't even bitten anyone, what could you know?"

This time, Lance said nothing, and, for some reason, that made Keith even more furious.

"So tell me, Lance, have you ever felt someone else's blood on you?! Have you ever had to clean guts from your chest?! Have you ever woken up just to see a carnage that's only your fault and-" His voice broke, but he was still mad and couldn't handle everything he was feeling.

Lance tried to reach for him again, but Keith slapped his hand away. The sound of skin meeting skin startled him, and so did Lance's face when he looked at him. There was an emotion there that Keith didn't dare to name, one that could have even been fear, as he held his beaten hand with the other one.

It was too much and Keith took one, two steps back before Lance caught his intentions.

"Keith, no, wait!" But it was already too late since he had turned away and left the scene as fast as his legs could take him.

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Keith ran away as far as he could, while tears were threatening to fall from his eyes. He didn't want to deal with Lance and his positive thinking. He didn't want to deal with what could have happened. He didn't want to deal with anything, so he just ran, and ran, and ran until he couldn't run anymore and then he sat under a tree. The weak sun tried to warm the world and Keith watched it make its way through the leaves for he didn't know how much time.

His pants got wet thanks to the grass but he didn't care. There was nothing on his mind besides the blurry memories from the night, as well as the fight from early morning. His arms hugged his legs against his chest, and he hid his face between them.

It had been stupid, hadn't it? Lance helped him, brought him back from the hunger frenzy and what had Keith done? Screamed at him and told him things he shouldn't have. He had even hit him. He should have been grateful, should have said thanks instead of reprimanding him just because he wasn't a filthy beast like Keith. Lance had no fault on Keith's mistakes. He hadn't even been aware, until today.

So, now he knew the truth, how Keith's hands were dirty with blood, how he was nothing but the beast inside him, even if he wanted to think something else. Even if he wanted to deny his monster, he could never escape from it. The beast was inside him, in ways it wasn't in Lance.

He had never asked Lance about how it worked inside him. He had been curious, but that would have mean also saying things about him, and he hadn't been ready at that time. It didn't matter anymore, he guessed, but he still regretted not talking more about the beast and the curse. At least he could have avoided the current situation. They could have parted ways before he started to enjoy Lance's presence. He never told him that, of course, but he had known the truth, deep inside.

Keith didn't think Lance would follow him, didn't think he would want anything to do with him after what Keith had said. He wanted to tell him he was sorry because he was, but he was also a coward and didn't dare to look for him. He wasn't ready to face his rejection. It would be easier to just never see him again.

.

* * *

It must have been hours later when Lance found him. The sun was low in the sky, and Keith didn't remember to eat anything all day long. Not that he could have stomached it but still. He was by the same tree, this time standing with his back resting on the tree's trunk.

"You feeling better?" Said a voice from behind him. Keith didn't need to turn around to know it was Lance's. He kicked a nonexistent pebble and crossed his arms before nodding to his question.

It was true, he wasn't ready to explode anymore. He was too tired for that.

"Good. I wasn't sure if you wanted to be alone tonight, but I was hoping not."

And that was complicated because Keith didn't want to be alone but he also didn't want to be with Lance. Or, he did, but was unsure about a lot of things. He was also not sure if he himself was reliable. He had thought he was after the first month went well, but then this happened. He wasn't so sure anymore that he wouldn't jump at Lance at random, one day or another.

"I don't bother you, do I?" Lance asked, his question interrupting Keith's thoughts. There were doubts slipping on his voice and Keith wished he could stop them. However, the best he could do was shake his head in answer, and so he did.

"You can tell me if I do, you know?" Lance continued. "It's okay if you need time away from… from me I guess. I understand if you are tired of me or something."

"You don't." Keith blurted

"I don't?" He asked, probably a bit lost in the topic, so Keith tried to clarify what he meant. He tried.

"Bother me."

"Oh. Okay. Is it okay if I get closer then? I don't like talking to your back." Lance waited until Keith nodded to approach him, getting to his side and staying there.

Silence settled in between them, not entirely uncomfortable but still a bit tense. The forest was still lively in the late afternoon, small sounds coming from everywhere.

"I thought you would leave," Keith said then, his voice low as if he didn't really want Lance to hear.

"Why?" The other man asked, clearly confused. Keith shrugged his shoulders.

"Because I was mean to you even though you only helped me." It was a good reason. People had left him for less.

"I guess I understand up to a point." Lance sighed from behind. "It must have brought bad memories back, you kinda told me. And you were right too, I'm stupid and naive."

"You're not. I'm sorry." 'I was just scared of myself' Keith thought but left it unsaid. It wasn't necessary, not really.

"So, uhm, do you… want to talk about it?" Lance asked, doubts obvious in his voice. Keith only shook his head.

"I don't have too much to say. Just what I said." Keep it short. Short sentences were easier." I have. Lost control. More than once. Especially the night after the full moon. It gets. Harder."

It didn't seem that hard for Lance, but Keith hoped he understood anyway. At least to some degree. Said guy seemed pensive now, a small wrinkle forming on his forehead.

"You've had the curse longer than me, right?"

"I guess? What does it matter?"

"I don't know. It's just... I think I kinda noticed it getting harder with time. Especially when I was traveling alone and… I thought it was just me but maybe it's that way for everyone?"

Keith wasn't sure about Lance's theory but it made a bit of sense. Although things had gotten blurry and routine for him long ago, maybe it hadn't always been the same. Months merged into each other after a while, because there wasn't that much difference between ten and twenty, and Keith had been too confused, angry and scared at the start to really know but… But maybe Lance was right.

His thoughts were interrupted when a hand dropped on his shoulder. Keith lifted his eyes to find Lance's blue eyes. The other man squeezed a bit before asking.

"Hey. Can I give you a hug?" Keith thought for a moment, different feelings clashing inside him, but he nodded at the end.

So Lance hugged him, and Keith felt his tension slipping away. Some of it at least. Lance didn't leave him, even when Keith screamed at him. Even when he now knew Keith wasn't like him, that he was way closer to the savage beasts they had discussed more than once. It had to mean something.

"You don't need to do this alone, you know?" Lance said then, near his ear. "I will help you in any way I can. Together we are stronger."

That was so cheesy, but Keith wanted to believe him. He didn't dare to say anything in response but one of his hands gripped Lance's shirt.


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Characters belong to Dreamworks and Netflix.**

I'm sorry for not updating last week. New year has been awful both for me and my beta and I was also slighty sick.

That being said, I think this is a good point to clarify that I modified the werewolf legend a bit and therefore the transformation happens at full moon and also the next 3 nights. Control over the beast varies between each night.

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Time kept flowing, the snow melted and the trees grew new clothes. Nights were still cold but prey was moving again and days were warm on his other skin. Traveling at night would have been almost enjoyable if it weren't for the unrelenting hunger. Keith was already used to that one though, so it was okay. It was a good night. Nights were better lately and he wasn't totally sure why, but he wasn't going to complain.

The forest was illuminated by the moon, almost as clear as day with his enhanced vision. There was a certain peace around them, some calm feeling that made him feel lazy. In fact, he thought he would prefer to lay on his stomach and nap instead of hunting. He wasn't sure how to suggest that thing to partner or he would have done it already. It was weird, he hadn't felt that way before. He thought he hadn't, at least. Thinking too much was hard, so he preferred to not dwell on those things if he could avoid it.

However, the placid atmosphere was broken when some wind rose, bringing sounds and smells with it. There were some high-pitched noises that made his ears flatten against his skull, as well as other ones that suggested a fight. It piqued his curiosity and he looked to Lance, searching for some kind of confirmation that it was okay. Funny enough, he had been doing that a lot lately. Keith even whined a bit, trying to attract partner's attention.

The grey wolf turned around, his head tilting to the side before he decided to follow the sounds and search for its source. Keith jumped to walk at his side, still feeling a bit playful because of the peaceful night. His happy feelings, however, didn't last that much once they got closer to the noises and the trees parted into a clearing. There was a small farm in the middle, with a house lighted from the inside with candlelight and an open door. The warm shades displayed a scene that would have been lovely in any other context.

It was a mother with two fighting kids, and the beast was howling about easy prey and tender meat, but Keith was in control enough to push the thought away with only some trouble. He turned away, the farm unexpected but dangerous in more ways than one. It was better to leave as soon as possible. It took him a few steps to notice partner wasn't following him. He was looking at them, even getting closer, risking being seen once he left the shadow of the trees that protected them from view.

Keith backtracked, his head shifting to the side, wondering what happened. The beast wanted to feed its hunger, but Keith knew they shouldn't listen, even if he wasn't totally sure why. He also knew partner knew better than him. He knew Lance didn't want to eat humans. So why was he getting closer, tempting the beast and making things worse for Keith?

It was then when the woman noticed him, her body freezing and her eyes going wide. The kids were still trying to fight each other, but they were soon aware of their mother's strange attitude. Their eyes were fixed on Lance, but he wasn't stopping. Keith decided to follow him, unsure of what was happening but ready to back him up if it was needed. When his body left the forest, the woman turned to look at him, emotions that Keith had no time to decipher showing on her face. Keith's ears flattened and he bared his teeth. The beast was pleased.

The woman's mouth moved, her voice too low to be heard even by them, and a man came from the house. He had been alerted either by the woman or by the sudden silence since he was armed with a mattock that wouldn't do too much against them. The weapon, however, did something to partner, since his tail swished and he stopped. The man raised the mattock, an act that attempted to be intimidating but failed its goal since he was so obviously shaking and terrified. And yet, he seemed determined to fight.

Keith growled, a deep instinct telling him to attack anyone who tried to hurt partner. The protectiveness was unexpected and there was some vague feeling that it should worry him for some reason, but he didn't care at the moment. The only thing that mattered was that some prey wanted to attack partner and he couldn't allow it. His teeth flashed, and his muscles tensed, ready to run and jump, ready to do whatever he needed to guarantee their safety. Everyone froze, waiting for someone else to make a move.

Then, one of the younger prey, a kid, started to cry in fear. His tears broke the spell between all of them and Keith blinked, relaxing just a bit. The woman took a step back, dragging her kids with her hands, while partner, Lance, also recoiled, until he was again at Keith's side. The man took a step forward, his hands still shaking but placing himself in front of the woman and the kids.

Lance shook his head twice before barking once and turning around to run away. Keith soon followed, after a last warning growl. There was some yelling coming from behind them but they paid no mind. Their paws were light on the hard ground, and they left no tracks that could be used to follow after them.

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* * *

Once morning came, Keith found himself worrying. Both about his reaction and Lance's actions. He wanted to ask, but he wasn't sure he wanted to know. He wasn't sure how to do it, either. What was he supposed to say? Fortunately for him, it wasn't necessary for him to say anything since Lance was the one to bring up the topic just a few hours after the sunrise. He had been uncharacteristically silent and so when he decided to whisper something, it didn't go unnoticed.

"I was stupid, wasn't I?" were his words, his voice sounding weak..

"What do you mean?" Keith asked, a ridiculous question of course. One that Lance didn't bother to answer. "I was the one who wanted to know what was happening. If something, it's my fault."

It was a good try, but Lance didn't listen and just shook his head.

"You were going to leave. I saw you." Keith would have liked to say no if only to calm him a bit, but he couldn't lie to Lance. Said man had stopped walking and Keith did too, turning around to look at him and founding him with his back against a big rock.

"I wanted to go with them." His face was turned down while one of his hands hid half of it. "I… I wanted to be one of them. I don't… I don't think I wanted to hurt them. I just - I wanted to be there. They seemed to be happy, even if the kids were fighting and... I don't know. I wanted that too."

As if his legs weren't able to hold him up anymore, Lance slid down the rock and sat on the floor, hugging his legs and hiding his face between his arms. Keith knelt near him, close enough to touch but not daring to cross that bridge yet.

"I miss them." Lance kept saying, his voice wavering and breaking time and time again. "My mom. And everyone else. I want to be with them again, but I can't. I'm dangerous and they should be afraid of me. As that family was. What was I thinking anyway?"

Keith was pretty sure he had been the one who made the kid cry, with his growls and wordless challenge, but he didn't tell him that. He let him talk since Lance just needed someone to listen. Keith was very bad at talking, had always been bad, but he could at least listen to him. Listen to anything he may want to say.

"You know, before we met I had only been alone for a few months. I had refused to leave my home at first. I thought I could live with it. I even told my sister about the curse and she said we would find a way to fix it. I wanted to believe her, wanted to believe I could have a normal life, even with this weight over me." It was such a Lance thing to do, to think there was a way to fix everything. To think giving his all would be enough.

"But then something happened. It was stupid, honestly. I just- I almost hurt someone. A neighbor, I had known all my life, but it was at the full moon and I didn't even remember it. I just know because I heard people talking about it after I woke up with half a fork in my shoulder." He shrinked as he talked, his human ball becoming even small than before.

"If he wouldn't have had that weapon I… I don't know what would I have done if I had killed him. Or just bite him. I left a few days later, when it wouldn't be that suspicious. I couldn't stand the possibility that I might end hurting someone. Being alone would be better."

Lance laughed, a bitter laugh that had no joy behind it. Keith remained silent, almost stopping his breathing. He wasn't sure what to tell him, and he wanted to know more about Lance, even when- Guess he was already involved.

"But I'm not even good at that, you know? I couldn't stand loneliness either." Lance continued, his voice as bitter as his laugh had been. So weird on him that it made Keith's guts turn. "I didn't even know how to survive in the wild. I ended by orbiting around towns when I got far enough away enough that no one would recognize me. I survived because of people pitying me until I learned just the basic. And then the winter came and everything was just so cold… I wasn't used to it. I hate it, unless I'm in the wolf form, and I hate it even more because the curse is the only thing that kept me alive."

It was a feeling Keith could relate to deeply. The curse had saved his life so many times and he hated himself for that. However, he didn't want Lance to feel that way. It wasn't fair, nothing about this was fair. And yet, he couldn't find the words, couldn't tell him how wrong he was by blaming himself. There was a knot in Keith's throat, one that had always been there and prevented him from spilling what he really wanted to say.

It was then when Lance's head rose a bit, just enough to look at Keith. His eyes reflected his suffering, but at the same time, there was something soft and fond in them.

"It got better after I found you. Life now seems… I don't know, not so bad anymore." There was a small, a tiny smile on his face when he said that. "I'm very happy we met. But I'm sorry I dragged you with me. Maybe you will be better off alone. You seemed to be doing fine and I just forced myself onto you so..."

He stopped talking when Keith shook his head. He wanted to tell Lance a lot of things, wanted to tell him he was better off now than he'd ever been since he'd been bitten, but he didn't dare. So he tried the best next thing and slid to sit next to him, their bodies touching from shoulder to hip. He even dared to lean into him, hoping his weight might somehow ground Lance a bit, or at least convey half the things he wanted to say.

And maybe it did because suddenly Lance's head was resting on his shoulder.

"I'm glad we met, too" He finally managed to say, a soft whisper that managed to make Lance relax against him. A sigh left his lips before he said.

"Thanks, Keith"

Keith could have said he'd done nothing, that he didn't deserve the thanks, but instead he only hummed. His hands were firmly on his lap, to avoid the temptation to wander into Lance's hair.


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Characters belong to Dreamworks and Netflix.**

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Summer was nice. Warmer nights made prey reckless and naive, with full stomachs making them slower. Even those that spent the winter hiding away, like bears, wandered around on summer nights. Bears were dangerous, but no more than them working together. Humans were dangerous too when there was more than one. The beast and partner were smarter than most animals, but humans always seemed to have a hidden trick, weapons that neither of them could understand. There was a vague feeling that it shouldn't be that way, that there was something wrong with that thought but the beast never had time to indulge in useless things. Not when his hunger growled inside, a hunger that was never satisfied.

The beast and partner both knew it was better to avoid big human groups, even if their blood sang asking to be drink and the single smell of their flesh made the beast shake with desire. So, it was really a summer miracle that they managed to find a single human walking through the forest at night, all alone and away from any human settlement that could have helped. It was a delight to sink its sharp teeth on the warm flesh, even when the screams hurt its ears The pain was absolutely tolerable once the blood flooded its mouth, just as delicious as the beast remembered it to be.

The human fought back for a while, but with both the beast and partner weighing it down there was only one possible outcome. The voice died with a gurgling sound and then there was only the joy of a successful hunt and tasty food that would lower its hunger, just for a while.

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When morning came, it took a few minutes for things to make sense again. Keith blinked at the rising sun, realizing he was laying on the floor, far away from where they had been last time. That was one of the worst things of the full moon night, not knowing where they would appear at morning. Thankfully, during the summer it wasn't such a problem since it was warm enough that he won't freeze to death without clothes. Keith looked around, searching for partner with its eyes and… No. He was looking for Lance. Lance was a friend, a human, and so was Keith. He tried to rub his face with his hand to clear his mind, but the gesture made him realize something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong.

There was blood on his hands. A quick search let him know it was also on his arms and chest. He knew what it meant, but there was still a small hope that soon died when he saw a corpse near his left side, touching the trees. It was ravaged, bare bones with teeth marks scattered around, but it was clearly human. The sight made his heart hurt and his stomach growl. The beast wanted more but Keith was too disgusted with himself to actually pay attention to the voice, for once. It wasn't the first time this had happened, but there was still a sickening feeling deep in his guts that the beast couldn't overcome. Maybe it was for the best that way because it was a reminder that he hadn't lost everything yet. If the beast's actions repulsed him, it meant there was still something left of his sanity. He just wished there was another way to check on it, less bloody and less painful.

Keith bit his lips, steeling himself against the bloody taste on them. He wanted nothing else than to leave the corpse behind and clean himself as fast as he could, but he needed to check on Lance. His body still resented the last transformation, even if he couldn't remember it, and his bones and muscles protested painfully against any kind of movement, but he managed to sit up. Once he did, it wasn't hard to find his friend, who was on the ground just a few meters away from him.

At first, Keith thought Lance was unconscious because he was still laying on his side, not moving. Keith got up, his legs shaking, and walked with unsteady feet. Once he got closer, he could see the evidence of carnage on Lance too, his bare chest covered in blood. The other man wasn't sleeping though, and the noise startled him, making him sit up as fast as he was able and turn to the sound's source. Half his face was also red

It was only when Keith saw the haunted look in his eyes that he remembered Lance had never once killed anyone while transformed. Keith knew too well the pain of waking up and realizing what kind of monster you truly were, but for his friend, it was a new experience. A horrible new experience

The first time Keith had woken with the remains of a hunt he had almost gone crazy. Something had been forever broken that day, and with nothing else to keep him grounded he had almost slipped into the numb sensation that the beast offered. Almost. Only the promise that he made to himself when he left his town had kept him going that day. Lance was stronger than him, but there was no doubt it had still hit him in the worst way. As his friend, the only thing Keith could do was try to keep him going.

"Lance." The man had turned again towards the corpse, but hearing his name made him look back at Keith. "We need to go."

Lance's mouth opened and closed a few times as if he was unsure of what to do or say. Keith saw his Adam's apple bob twice before he managed to say anything.

"What?" Was the only thing that slipped through his lips.

"Come on, Lance, let's go clean up and…" Keith tried, only to be interrupted by Lance's voice.

"How… How can you just… Just keep going like nothing!"

"I…" He didn't really have an answer, but Lance didn't give him the chance to even try before he kept talking.

"We just killed a man. _Ate_ a man." Some tears spilled from his eyes while he said that, but his voice kept surprisingly steady. "And you just… just tell me to leave!"

"It's morning already. Anyone can come here and if they find us, they will kill us."

"We can try to take him somewhere, tell someone…" Lance left his sentence hanging on the air, probably realizing how unrealistic it was.

"There's nothing we can do. You know we can't." He would have liked to point out there wasn't enough left to take anyway, but the sole thought made his gut churn both with nausea and hunger.

"You could at least act as if you were sorry! Instead of just… just… just leaving as if nothing happened! Do you even care?" It was a low blow, considering everything they had shared about each other.

"Of course I do! You know I do!" And Lance indeed knew because he had tried to comfort him more than once when Keith had talked briefly about his experiences with the full moon.

"Then why does it seem like you don't even mind we are screaming near a half-eaten human body?!"

"It's not like that! But crying over a dead body won't bring it back to life!" His words were harsh and made Lance recoil a bit, but they also made him angry.

"I'm sorry for being disgusted with myself for being a murderer!"

"It's not your fault." It was the beast, living inside him and inside Lance, the only one to blame but still...

"Well, the blood all over me and you says otherwise!" Keith knew Lance was hurt, so he tried very hard to not let his words sink in, but it was hard when his own conscience was always screaming the same things.

"We have no control over it." He said, both to Lance and to himself. They really couldn't do anything.

"It's just easier to blame your instincts, right? You are already used to this!" Keith saw on his face that Lance instantly regretted what he said, but he didn't do or say anything else and Keith deflated.

"I'm sorry." He tried one last time, his voice dying under his friend's screams and his own guilt. His hand tried to offer any kind of comfort he could, but Lance flinched back.

"Leave me. Leave me alone!" And Keith didn't want to, but he wasn't strong enough to stay there, to see his face dirty with tears and blood, the same blood drying on his hands. He couldn't stand to see him so broken and know he couldn't do anything to help him. To save any of them. So he left him. One, two steps back and he was running away, as he always did.

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The beast… No, he, Keith, was restless. There was anxious energy running through his body, something that made it, him, want to run, jump and howl. He was, however, sitting still, his head laying on its front paws while his tail swayed from side to side. His memories were blurry and it was difficult to focus on his own consciousness when the beast was still so close to take full control of the wolf's body, but he knew something wasn't right between him and partner. And Lance. There was a reason he was laying there instead of looking around for it. For him.

His head raised when it heard something, ears perking up as a smell filled his nose. He knew that smell. He liked that smell. But it didn't dare to move yet, afraid his presence may be unwanted or even despised. He stayed in his place, only his ears flicking until partner appeared between the trees.

The grey wolf, however, didn't doubt when he saw him. He trotted closer and his snout nuzzled against Keith's shoulder before he showed him his throat. It felt like a surrender and an apology. Keith didn't know for sure what it was for, but he did know things were okay between them again. It was safe to walk by Lance's side that night, so he stood up and bumped at his neck with his own nose before turning away to check the forest.


	7. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Characters belong to Dreamworks and Netflix.**

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Nights were still warm, even when the days were getting shorter once again. They were tolerable, even without the wolf's skin.

Today had been a nice day. They had found a moderately nice town, Lance had charmed the people until they were talking amicably and even selling them some goods at a lower price than usual. Keith had found himself smiling more than once, even when he didn't engage too much in conversations. Lance was funny enough for both of them. The afternoon was ending, and night would soon be over them, but the moon was waning so it wasn't an issue.

They were walking through the empty streets, wanting to find an inn soon and get something to eat. It was a quiet, peaceful evening until it wasn't anymore. Until someone found them.

Once, when he had first been adapting to the curse, he'd find another werewolf. It had been an older one, and Keith, with his head confused and feelings still raw, had thought they could help him. He'd gotten closer to the wolf, whining in something he guessed was his beast form to ask for help. The other wolf had attacked him on sight, almost killing Keith. He'd lost a lot of skin, bleeding from many different places, his left ear had been almost ripped from his head and one of his legs had been broken. He still thought it had been pure luck what allowed him to escape from their jaws.

The curse healed him quickly, but the lesson stayed with him. He'd met other cursed wolves later, and it usually went better, but he'd never forgotten that first experience. He didn't trust them and preferred to get away from them as fast as he could. So, his first reaction when the smell found his nose was a bit strange. He looked around wildly and, as soon as he found the source, he threw himself between Lance and the stranger.

His blood was pumping and he almost didn't notice Lance's hand on his shoulder or his voice asking what happened. It didn't take him too long to see or smell the other person, and the stranger also noticed them. It was a woman. She didn't look aggressive, maybe more like curious, but Keith didn't trust her one bit. There was still something predatory in her manners, in the way her balance was slightly more to her right and how her eyes followed every one of their moves.

She blinked a few times when she saw them, her head tilting to the side, and then she walked towards them. Her steps were light, and there was some sort of rhythm to them that make it seem as if she were dancing. Her long hair was tied up in a ponytail and swung from side to side every time she moved. Her body was thin but there was strength and confidence in her moves. She was dangerous.

Keith took a few steps back, pushing Lance with him since he was still hiding him with his body. In all honesty, he would have preferred to leave, but he wasn't going to turn his back on her. Not until he at least knew what she wanted.

The woman stood in front of them, looking them up and down, as well as subtly smelling them. She was skilled, only her nostrils moving while her face remained impassive. Minutes passed, none of them moving until the woman smiled. She flashed them a big smile, one that pretended to be sweet and welcoming but Keith could still sense the nastiness it was trying to hide.

"Hello there." came her voice, high pitched and joyful. She received no answer and her left eye twitched, but her smile didn't falter. She raised her hand and tried to touch them, but stopped herself when Keith growled a warning.

"Calm down," She said, her voice still cheerful, even when there was a sharp edge in her eyes now. "I just want to talk. It's not every day you find two pretty boys all alone."

"Go away," Was the only answer Keith gave her. Of course, she didn't listen and instead tried to circle around them. Keith didn't let her, moving their bodies around so they remained face to face. She gave up after a moment and asked instead.

"Is he your mate?"

"No."

"No? You surely are protective enough of him."

"I said no," Keith growled again. Lance put a hand on his shoulder, trying to keep him calm.

"Can we help you?" Lance asked, his voice polite but wary.

"Help me!" The woman said, laughing. "What could two puppies like you do for me?"

Lance seemed taken aback by her question because he doubted a moment before continuing.

"Then we're leaving. We've already talked, no need to detain you . I'm sure someone like you must have important business elsewhere."

"Why so mean, kid? It's been a while since I've seen young pups running wild. You should come pay me and my friends a visit, before we leave."

"Your friends?" Keith muttered, a cold shiver running through his back as Lance talked louder drowning out his question.

"Oh, so you are all visiting this town? You must like this place!" His enthusiastic tone was obviously fake, but the woman didn't seem to notice or care.

"Sure, we like this town." Her face was twisted into a cruel expression, sharp teeth showing "So lively, you can almost feel their blood pumping. I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to lure a young man to take a walk away from town. Would you like to come with me and my friends? It'll be fun."

"There's no moon today," Lance whispered horrified.

"Does it matter?"

Neither of them said anything in answer and she smiled, a cruel edge on her pointy teeth.

"I see. You are a lovely couple, especially you." As she said that, one of her hands found Lance's cheek

Keith slapped her hand away. The woman looked at him with fury, and Keith felt his hair stand on end and his muscles tense, ready to fight whatever came his way. He was still half in between Lance and the woman, and he wouldn't let anything happen to the other man. The woman, however, soon relaxed and the smile came back, bigger than before.

"You are too far gone. Your mate may keep you at bay for a while, but it's too late for you. And then it will be too late for him too."

Keith didn't want to listen to her but her words dug deep into his worst fears.

"What do you mean?" Lance asked, taking the bait.

"He knows what I mean."

"Shut up. We're leaving." Keith pushed Lance back, towards the street leading to the inn.

"You may run away from me, pup, but you can't run away from yourself. You'll both give up, and then you'll realize this is not a curse but a blessing."

"You are crazy," Lance said, not bothering to mask his disdain and repugnance. The woman didn't care.

"Maybe. But, aren't we all?"

Keith had to physically drag Lance away from her, and they could still hear her laughing from far away.

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They skipped dinner and went straight to their room. It was a nice place with two beds, which was sort of a novelty since they weren't that lucky usually. Lance sat on one of them as soon as they entered and then bounced his leg up and down. He was weirdly silent, so Keith tried to coax him into talking by sitting at his side and bumping their shoulders together. "What's up with you?"

"Do you think she was saying the truth?"

"I don't know." It was the truth and yet… "I want to think she's not, but I don't really know."

"Do you think there's a way to end this?" Lance asked then.

Keith bit his lip. There was nothing he could say. He had no answer to that question because he didn't think there was a solution, but he would never say that to Lance. He knew he still had hope for him, for them. His confidence was soothing and Keith needed the comfort more than he'd ever thought.

Silence stretched between them, until Lance broke it again, his voice a little shaky.

"My sister thought there was a solution, you know? I think I told you once," Keith nodded, his face softening at the fondness Lance's voice carried now. "She was always like that, trying to fix everything. She's a good person. She worked so hard, even more when I became this…"

Lance sighed, his right hand rubbing at his temple.

"I was… scared at first, but when I saw her so confident I thought… I thought it would be okay? Because she's my older sister and she was always right but… Now I'm not so sure. And I don't want to… I don't want to become that woman. I don't want to be that. Never."

"You won't," Keith said then, confident as never before. "Even if she is right, you'd never be like her."

Lance smiled at him, a tiny gesture on his face, but his eyes were still full of sadness and nothing else. Keith took his hand, squeezing it between his own but it didn't stop Lance's next words.

"Maybe we should die," Keith physically recoiled.

"What?"

"It would be easier for everyone," Lance said, his voice devoid of emotion. "Even for you and me. Don't you think so?"

Keith was speechless. He'd never been good with words, but now his mouth felt like it was full of sand. He had to swallow a few times before he dared to ask.

"Do you want to die?"

"No." Lance shrugged his shoulders. "Of course not. It's just… Sometimes it's harder, you know?"

"I know."

"I don't want to kill anyone," The sadness was back in his eyes and his voice, so Keith got closer to him and hugged his shoulders, dragging him closer to his chest before answering.

"I know."

"But I've done it already."

Keith didn't say anything, tightening his arm around Lance's shoulder. He had no solution for Lance, but he could at least be there for him. There was a silence again, while Lance mulled over his thoughts and then he asked.

"Would you kill me if I asked you to?"

"No." There was no hesitation, no doubts from Keith.

"But-"

Keith cut his sentence by moving their bodies until they were face to face. He shook Lance a bit until he got him to look at his eyes.

"No," He said, his voice full of passion "I would do many things for you. I would do almost anything for you. But not this. Don't ask me to kill you, don't ask me to let you die."

They stayed like that, not moving at all, just looking at each other until Lance averted his eyes and nodded as he deflated. Keith pushed him back to lay on the bed and, following an instinct, laid himself over Lance's body. It wasn't something he was used to doing, but Lance did it all the time for him when they were in their wolf bodies. The weight grounded Keith, made it easy to remember where he was and who he was. He hoped it would do the same for Lance now.

After a moment, the man relaxed under him and sighed, his arms draping around Keith's waist and hugging him. Lance dropped a light kiss on his temple before whispering.

"I'm sorry. Thank you."

Nothing else was said that night, but it took a long time for the two of them to fall asleep.


	8. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: Characters belong to Dreamworks and Netflix.**

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Ever since the werewolf woman incident, things had been different, and Keith wasn't sure if he liked it. There was something different about Lance, a weight on him that hadn't been there before. Whether it was a coincidence or her words that had triggered something inside him, his easy going personality withered a bit day by day.

On the other hand, the wolf side had gotten way more cuddly and whined far too often when Keith didn't stay by his side. That wasn't exactly a problem, because it wasn't like Keith was going to complain about it, but it made him wonder. Made him think and think again about the word that the woman threw at them so easily. Mate , she'd said, and Keith wasn't sure about all the implications the word had, but he found that it was easy to attach it to Lance. It was as if it had always belonged to the other man and Keith had just been too blind to see it.

In all honesty, it had been a while since Keith had felt that Lance filled some kind of void in him. Something he'd never wanted to acknowledge but could no longer ignore, not now when the solution was so close that he could feel his warmth every time they touched, no matter how small the touch was. Just thinking about leaving Lance behind, about the void opening under his feet and swallowing him whole, had Keith's stomach turning. He thought more than once that everything that had happened in his life, even the curse, would be worth it if at the end he got to meet Lance. His feelings were so strong that they scared him.

Feelings made him vulnerable. It was a stupid thing to think now, when he was so far gone that every possible result would up end hurting him. It was stupid that, after reminding himself so many times that he shouldn't get attached, he hadn't even noticed when he went and latched onto Lance with all his strength. Now, it was too late to move back. Too late to try and protect himself from the consequences.

It terrified him, and sometimes it made his skin crawl, but he couldn't even think about it when Lance hugged him at night, either in some filthy inn or under whatever shelter they had found in the wilderness. Those were the times when he felt calmer, when he couldn't think of anything going wrong. When not even the curse could bother him.

The last moon cycle had been easier too, the hunger almost forgotten under Lance's weight when he jumped over him to play fight until they were both too tired to do anything but lay on the hard ground of the forest until the moon disappeared.

It wasn't that easy under the sunlight, when he found himself agreeing with the beast for the first time, when he thought he should be the one jumping over him, biting just hard enough to mark his teeth. The beast, though, didn't understand the problems that would bring.

Keith wasn't stupid, he knew Lance wouldn't mind if he did. Maybe it was a sixth sense that came with the wolf thing, but he knew only by looking at him that Lance would be happy to catch him, hug him and maybe even more. However, he didn't think it would last. He was convinced there would be a point when Lance would realize Keith wasn't worth his time.

It would hurt a lot by then, but it would hurt even more if he left himself follow the beastly impulse. If he allowed himself to hope and dream, the fall would hurt more. The void would be only thing he could do was to keep himself in check, fight the need to touch and smell, keep the small distance that was still his own.

And yet, he couldn't stop worrying about Lance. To see him change and wonder if he could do anything to stop him slipping through the cursed path. If he could, maybe, be what Lance needed. If he could give him at least half of what Lance gave to him. He didn't think he would be able to, but doing nothing didn't fit him at all.

It all wound down one night, not so far away from the full moon, when Lance stood by the door of the room they had paid for.

"I'm sorry." He said that time. It took Keith by surprise, just when he was thinking about going to sleep right away.

"What are you talking about? Why are you sorry?

"I think I never understood how hard this was for you." Lance closed the distance between them, stopping just a few centimeters before they would touch. "I thought I did, but I never really… and now…

"Lance… are you okay?"

"I don't know. Am I?" His arms found Keith's waist while his face dug into his hair. "I feel... different. Like things don't matter that much anymore…"

"What do you mean?" Keith asked, pushing him away to look at his face. It took a moment for Lance's eyes to focus again, and different feelings stirred inside Keith. Worry, because he knew that look very well, but also some wild interest that didn't exactly come from him. He pushed it down, listening to Lance's answer.

"It's just… Why are we here? Why do we have to care? It would be so much easier to just… let go. If we don't care about them, then we would be free."

"Lance..." Keith's hand found his cheek, a weak attempt to ground him some way, and Lance caught it with his own, squeezing a bit.

"No, I know. I know why. I know it's not okay. But sometimes it's just… hard … to remember. Thoughts just slip into my head and I can't keep them away. It doesn't leave me alone anymore and…"

He stopped and bit his lip with enough strength to make it bleed. It was Keith who hugged him this time, tight and strong.

"It'll be okay." He tried to reassure him, even when he didn't feel able to keep his promise. "You'll be okay. I won't let you slip."

"I know," Lance sighed, his head resting on Keith's shoulder. "I know. If you weren't here I…"

"Shut up," Keith said, and for once Lance listened to him and stopped. His arms were gripping the fabric of Keith's clothes with so much strength it wouldn't be weird if it broke. Keith couldn't care less, hugging him back with the same sentiment.

Neither of them cared about how much time they stayed there, unmoving until Lance loosened his embrace only a bit before saying.

"Hey, Keith."

"Yeah?"

"Would it be okay if I say I love you?"

The question hit Keith with such force he would've staggered if he wasn't still held by Lance's arms. It brought too many thoughts and feelings that clashed inside his chest and made him shake. Lance must have sensed it, since he tried to take a step back.

"Sorry, I-"

"No," Keith said, not letting him go. "It's okay. That you ask, I mean. It's just… a lot."

"Oh. It's… a good lot or a bad lot?"

"I don't know. Give me a moment."

"Okay." Lance's hand intertwined in Keith's hair, carding it with a soothing motion until he stopped shaking and his breath was calm again. Until he felt his lungs working properly again.

"I…" Keith said, his voice breaking and forcing him to take a deep breath before continuing. "I don't know. I think I'm not ready. I don't know if I can be what you want."

"Keith." Lance moved back, his hands catching Keith's. "You are what I want."

"You don't know anything about me."

"I know enough." Keith huffed and Lance squeezed his hand. "I'm serious. You care about me, you seem rough but you are a big softie inside, you can be funny when you want, you are stronger than I could ever be. I don't want you to be anything but you, Keith."

"I'm going to disappoint you."

"You could never disappoint me, Keith. Look at me." He did, and he found himself unable to see anything else. "I love you."

There was no hesitation, no doubts in his eyes. It was terrifying to see but there was nothing Keith could do, now that they were having this conversation. He sighed and let go, because he had been right before. There was no way he could go back to what he once was. He could at least take what little he could get before everything exploded.

"Okay."

"Okay?" There was hope on Lance's voice and it made Keith smile.

"Okay."

Silence fell over them, no words needed because everything was just there to be seen.

"You know," Lance said after a while, his right thumb drawing circles on Keith's hand. "There may be something good about the wolf."

"What?"

"You don't avoid me as much." There was a playful smirk on Lance's lips, and it didn't matter how much Keith hated that face, it was way better than what had transpired between them before.

"I don't avoid you," Keith said, frowning.

"Kiss me?" Keith felt his face warming up at the question. He studied the ground, unable to keep up with the way Lance was looking at him. "You do avoid me, see?"

"Shut up."

Lance laughed and he was about to say something but Keith was faster. He didn't want to hear him right now, so he just pecked him on the lips, short and fast, succeeding in shutting him up. Lance opened and closed his mouth a few times before he managed to say.

"That's not fair."

"Why not?" It was Keith's time to smirk and it made Lance groan.

"You are not getting smug about this now. I won't allow it."

"Oh?" One of Keith's brows arched, a little challenge appearing there. "And what are you gonna-"

Lance's hands were on his cheeks while he drew his face and met him midway with a proper kiss this time. A kiss that was both soft and wild, a parallel to their current lives, it made his blood rush and also settled down an invisible need deep within his chest. A kiss that took his breath away and also made him want more of them, no matter the cost.

They broke apart, and this time, Keith didn't hesitate, his eyes fixated on Lance's while he wetted his lips.

"I don't know, I still feel a bit smug."

"Then I guess I have to fix it."

They kissed again, and Keith felt something warm and content blooming in his chest. He thought he could hear the beast howling at his ear


	9. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Characters belong to Dreamworks and Netflix.**

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It was a chilly night out in the wilderness when Lance finally asked one of the questions Keith had been dreading. A question which he wasn't really sure how to answer since it brought him shame, pain, and regret. Three emotions he was both used to feeling and hiding.

He couldn't hide anything from Lance, however. He was never very good at it, and it had only gotten worse once they had… _mated_ , he guessed that was the word. That was the word that pleased the beast, at least, and it was too tiring fighting it over more important matters to dwell too much into a single word. No matter how relevant it might be.

"I was wondering.." Lance asked, still playing with Keith's hair between his fingers. "You never told me, how did you get converted?"

He tensed where he was, laying over him, and tried to play it cool.

"Does it matter?"

"I mean, not really but…" His fingers had stilled on Keith's head, which probably meant he had noticed something was wrong.

"You don't need to know," Keith didn't mean it like that. He didn't want to say that. He didn't want to sound so bitter and sharp, and so he tried to brush it away. "It doesn't matter."

"I just want to know." Lance tried again. "You never tell me anything about your life before the curse."

"There's nothing to tell," Keith released himself from Lance's arm, sitting on the bed. Trying to keep his calm while he was freaking out inside.

"Come on, there must be something."

"I said no!" Keith shouted. Of course he did, of course, he lashed out and Lance went silent. "I'm going out."

"Keith, wait." Lance tried to reach him, but he was already too far away and he didn't manage to catch him in time.

He turned into the beast and ran away because that's what he always did best. It was easier to not think when his mind was fuzzy. However, he wasn't that lucky tonight and whether he couldn't leave the thought behind or the moon's influence was too weak, the beast was faint in his head.

Therefore, the conversation kept replaying over and over in his mind. And the circling only got him to the same conclusion, that he had fucked up. There he went ruining things again. What would Lance think of him now? It had been a simple question. He could have kept it short. He didn't need to explain everything. He didn't need to answer.

Except he did, because Lance was his _mate_ , and he couldn't lie to him. And hiding things felt like a lie. He didn't want him to think he was stupid though, even when he knew he was. He didn't want him to know the truth about his turning, which would be totally silly if it weren't for the pain it brought. He didn't want Lance knowing of his idiocy.

If Lance knew about what happened, he would laugh. He would laugh and tell Keith he was stupid and he would leave him. He would leave him when he realized how useless and worthless Keith really was. When he realized that Keith had run willingly into the beast's jaws.

Keith stopped and sat on the hard ground. The beast wasn't tired but he didn't feel like running anymore. He felt more like he wanted Lance to hug him and tell him everything will be okay. He wanted Lance to tell him his thoughts were ridiculous. Keith had a feeling they were. An instinct whispering Lance was bonded to him for life, and that he wouldn't leave him for something like that. That he would stay even if he knew the truth.

Keith was scared, anyway, because nothing and no one in his life had ever stayed. Why would Lance be different? His head fell on his paws, while he tried to calm down. The time passed slowly until the smell gave it away. Keith raised his head and looked behind him, to where Lance was sitting. He wasn't moving nor did he seem to have done it in a while. Keith wondered how long he had been there, just sitting and waiting for him. It made him feel guilty.

He whined, low and pitiful, embarrassingly, but Lance heard him and he stood up and walked until he could cuddle him up. He pushed and nuzzled into Keith's fur until he managed to get his head under his own. He growled a bit then, and his throat rumbled. It was a bit comforting in a weird way. Keith pushed himself closer and just listened until his thoughts calmed down and he felt a little more like himself. Whatever that meant anymore.

He separated from his mate and got up, prompting Lance to do the same. They stretched their limbs, which were cold and rigid, before making their way back to where they had been before and their thing still were. Hopefully. Keith was contrite most of the way, looking to the ground and keeping his paws light over the earth and the grass.

"I'm sorry." was the first thing he said once he turned back into a human.

"It's okay," Lance replied, taking his clothes and covering himself. "I shouldn't have pushed you anyway."

"You were right. I never tell you anything."

"Keith." Lance sighed. "You don't need to-"

"It was a friend." He blurted anyway, unable to keep it inside any longer. "A friend gave me the curse."

"A… A friend?" Keith nodded, hiding his face under his bangs. They'd been growing up.

"I don't know how he got it. I don't remember him being different, or hiding things or… I don't know. One day I got home and he was gone, with only a note left. No words said." His hands curled into a fist and he felt a bit dizzy, so he sat on the ground and it didn't take him long to become a ball.

"Oh. Okay." Lance sat by his side, their shoulders barely touching and Keith desperately wanted him to hug him or touch, but he also felt like his skin was crawling and didn't want anyone touching it. "Do you… uhm, do you want to talk about it or not?"

Keith shook his head, but he knew he would keep talking soon enough. Maybe Lance knew it too because he didn't say anything and just let the silence settle between them, still not really touching him but leaning a little bit more into where their bodies joined.

"We lived together, at a small town at the south. I never had any place to go, and the town people never really liked me so… One day he talked to me and kept doing it, even when I tried to avoid him." The memories were bittersweet since he had never had a real place to call home, not until Shiro took him in. "We became friends and one day he offered to live with him, instead of at the broken house I was using at that time and.. It was okay for some time, some years, I thought everything was going well and then, one day, he left."

His hand gripped his arm hard enough that it would probably bruise for a while, even with his increased healing. It hurt but it grounded him so he could keep going.

"I just… I didn't understand at that point. I didn't understand why he left me. I was mad, at him because he said he would stay with me and lied. And at me, because if he left it meant I had done something wrong, didn't it? It's always me who fucks things up." Keith hated how his voice wobbled, even after so much time. He hated feeling so vulnerable but there he was, raw and exposed in front of Lance. He had been for a long time anyway, even if he refused to acknowledge it before.

"So I followed him, I followed his trail into the night which was stupid, because what was I supposed to do even if I found him? But I didn't think, I guess I just wanted to do something else than stay at home and think. And miss him."

Lance was unusually silent, but Keith barely noticed since he was already too involved in the story he was telling. He had never told it to anyone, never had anyone else care before. And, after so much time, the words left his mouth with no stop in sight, unable to keep them inside anymore.

"But, for all the things I fucked up, I just had to do this right and I did manage to find him but…" His voice broke, and he had to take a few deep breaths before going. "It was late and he was there, he told me to leave but I didn't, I was too busy screaming at him and then he wasn't there anymore. There was a big monster and I didn't understand what happened, couldn't understand. He jumped over me and threw me to the ground and I thought I was gonna die, but then he stopped and...I don't know. He stopped. And I knew it was still Shiro, and he still left."

Keith knew now, he understood why Shiro left him but it still hurt. Something deep within still screamed it wasn't fair.

"He didn't bite me, not exactly… It was an accident, I don't even have a scar to prove it happened, you know? His teeth scraped my hand, just a bit and that was it. And it is my fault because I tried to catch him, to stop him from going away. Now I know he was just trying to protect me, and I don't know how he did it but he stopped himself from killing me… And then… I had to make it harder for him, as always." His fingers were still on his arms, white for the pressure he was putting on them. Keith jumped a bit when Lance's hands fell over his, removing them and keeping him from hurting himself anymore.

"Keith, you didn't know…" He knew Lance was right, but he didn't want to hear it, so he shook his head and kept going.

"I think he didn't notice. I want to think he would have stayed if he'd noticed, but I don't know. He left me, again, and this time he was too fast for me to follow and… and then I felt sick. I guess you know how it is. I thought I was gonna die, there, where no one could find me."

He knew no one would have, because no one cared enough, no one but Shiro, and he had left already, without knowing what happened. "But I didn't. I just spent three days and nights there, in pain, while the world kept going as if nothing happened. When I woke up and the pain had ebbed, I went back to the town. No one noticed I'd been gone. It shouldn't have been a surprise but still… I just wanted someone to care but…" His voice broke again, and this time he couldn't bring it back.

He stopped to catch his breath and just then noticed his eyes were burning as if he hadn't blinked in a long time. Maybe he hadn't , he wasn't sure.. He was still trying to continue his story when Lance hugged him. It was a surprise and he jumped a bit but soon relaxed again, as Lance dragged him closer. His face hid on Lance's neck and a few stray tears ran down his cheeks. He couldn't stop them but he wasn't sure he wanted to anyway. Lance felt safe, like a place when he could finally, _finally_ , rest, unwind, and just feel for a moment. He was someone that could take care of Keith while he allowed himself to be vulnerable just once.

"You deserved better. Everyone was stupid for not caring about someone as precious as you." One of Lance's hands was drawing soothing circles on his back, while the other one tangled on Keith's hair, keeping his head in place.

"I'm not good. I haven't even told you about when I left the village."

"It doesn't matter Keith. None of this is your fault."

"But you said…"

"Ignore what I said. I was hurt, I was stupid. I'm sorry. I never told you, but I'm sorry. You have been doing your best, Keith, and I know it. You are the strongest person I've ever met. I could have never lived through what you did."

"I'm sorry." Keith didn't know why he was apologizing, but it seemed fitting. Lance shushed him anyway and kept touching him, his back, his hair, and he could smell him fully from so close. It was soothing and made it hard to keep his walls up. It was easier to hide from the world in his arms and think Lance would protect him from anything. Keith had no doubts he would.

It was almost morning when Keith started to feel just a little better, just strong enough to face the cold world for one more day. The sun was still hiding but the moon was gone and the sky was getting lighter and lighter. Lance was still carding through his hair in lazy motions, humming a song under his breath. He stopped when Keith stirred in his lap and yawned. Then he leaned a bit to kiss Keith's temple and said.

"You know, this Shiro person… I think he loved you, and that he wouldn't have left you behind if he had known what happened. I'm sure he wouldn't."

It almost made Keith cry again. But he was tired and Lance's body was warm so he only hid his face on his neck a bit more.

"Please don't leave me." He whispered, so low that it was almost unheard. Lance caught it anyway.

"I won't."


	10. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Characters belong to Dreamworks and Netflix.**

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Days, nights, were getting blurrier and harder to track. Keith wasn't sure why he was supposed to keep track but there was a weird feeling saying it was important. Important. What was important anyway? It, no, _he_ , didn't think there were too many things he should call important. Partner was important. Partner was its, _his_ , mate. Mates were important, Keith knew that. The beast knew that. They both agree. Why were they two different beings? Keith didn't remember very well, but he kept it in mind. He couldn't forget. Partner would be sad if he did.

Nights were also colder now. A lot of them were rainy, making his fur wet and heavy. Snow would come soon. Snow made it harder to find prey but it was nice to look at. He liked to see his paws printed on the fresh snow.

Keith liked the nights anyway, even if they were cold. He liked them because Partner was always playful at night. It was funny and tiring and it distracted him from the constant hunger. They played and fought and bit, and sometimes there was a taste of blood on his tongue. The beast did not like this one. Keith would have thought the beast liked any kind of blood and it did. To taste this blood made it sit and whine and roll over until the taste disappeared and Partner, Lance, came to nip at him again, and play and fight him.

Nights were blurry but it was okay, because they were together and Keith and the beast agreed it was all they needed.

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One week before the full moon, they got back to the old ratty town where they had first met. It had been an accident, honestly, Keith hadn't been worried about his way in a long time and just made sure they didn't stay too long in one place.

It had been Lance who noticed, who pointed there was a vaguely familiar smell. He had been right, of course, and once Keith paid attention he noticed it too. He had been a bit dubious about going there.

The villagers remembered Lance, as most people always did. An old woman told them she had been worried after he left and didn't come back. He had seemed like a nice guy, she said, and there were monsters in the woods. A few people had given her the stink eye but more than one nodded in silence. It had been a bit awkward, so many people looking at them, but Lance had managed as he always did, and nothing happened.

The old woman had been nice and she seemed really worried, so Keith felt a bit bad knowing they were the monsters she was scared of. It didn't matter, anyway, as long as they didn't hurt anyone. He allowed himself to be dragged from one point to another without putting too much of a fight. And in all honesty, he mostly fought just because he was used to it.

When the night came, they were both back at the inn where they had first seen each other. Keith wasn't sure if it was the same table or not, but it still gave him a weird feeling of deja vu. Even the first snow had fallen some days ago, he was almost waiting for Lance to enter the building. Except that he wouldn't, because his leg was touching his own, and he had been complaining about the food just one moment ago. Keith had punched his shoulder lightly to shut him up.

A few hours later, when the patrons had left and they had already rented a room and settled inside, Keith couldn't sleep. The moon was already up, and it was starting to fill itself, but it wasn't its influence which kept him awake. He wasn't sure what did it. Lance was already gone, snoring softly with his head resting on Keith's shoulder while Keith played with his short hair. He always kept it short.

Keith felt calm, something that wasn't common in him. He was used to being on alert, always ready to run or fight. It had only gotten worse when his senses increased after the curse caught him. There was always a noise, a smell, anything that would catch his attention and keep him on edge. He had always been wild, in some ways. A wild child.

Lance was different. He always was. He'd always been more _human_ than Keith. Even when they were blinded by their instincts, even when they couldn't control what they did, there was always a spark of his humanity that remained making him slightly less feral. Not enough, never enough, but it was still there. And it always took him less time than to Keith to come back. To be himself again, to leave the beast behind until next month came and forced him to transform again.

Keith thought it was the family he left behind. The one he loved to rant about. Lance could say that he had given them up as many times as he wanted to, but Keith knew better. He wanted them back. He ached for them. And, deep down, he still had hope he would see them again, one day. Sometimes, on the better nights, when they could keep a bit of their minds, he saw him raising his head to the moon. He never howled, that would alert people about them, but his eyes were full of sadness and sorrow. Keith thought it was his longing that kept him grounded, even if he didn't notice it himself.

Meanwhile, for Keith… He knew he had no one waiting for him. There was no one in the world who would miss him. No one to cry for him. It had been easy to lose his mind at first, and it was harder to come back every time. He craved towns, taverns and inns full of drunkards and noises and smells that loudly screamed human. He craved them because they helped him to remember what he was. That he wasn't just a rabid beast, that he shouldn't follow his instincts when he had a choice. That he was Keith and not just the wolf.

Lance made it easier for him. His stupid jokes, and petty jabs, his ridiculous stories from his childhood. He made him laugh, and surprised him, and sometimes even scared him or made him angry. He made him _feel_ things, made him reach for his human side, made him connect with it and forget the beast for a while. It was hard to remember they were monsters when Lance was complaining loudly about his clothes getting grass stains. It was easier to forget his blood hunger when his wolf form laid at his side, nipping at his ear.

Keith looked at his sleeping face, peaceful and at rest, younger than what he was used to seeing. Keith's fingers slowly dragged over his cheek, a soft caress that went unnoticed by the sleeping man. His skin was still soft, even after months out in the wilderness. And he wanted him. Lance wanted him. The thought still made Keith smile, a soft and tender smile he was not used to give. It made his heart soar.

Sleep seemed far away from him that night, but it didn't stop him from getting closer to his mate, skin touching skin. It was comforting. It was peaceful. It was _his_. A place where he belonged, where he could be himself. He belonged there, laying next to Lance, close enough to touch him and be touched.

This was something no one could take away from him. Not even the curse had been able to. It didn't matter what happened at the end, it didn't matter how much the curse would steal from him and how less human he would be, day by day. It didn't matter because Lance would be with him every step of the way.

The thought gave him peace, and he rested his head over Lance's. His smell was all over the room, fresh and a bit salty. Keith didn't sleep that night but he did close his eyes and breathe. It was all he needed.

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The moon was almost out of the sky when they found her. When Keith smelled her. There was a woman close. They were bordering the forest, maybe a little too close to human towns but it was okay. It would be as long as none of them came any closer. The moon was low enough that Keith felt a bit more like himself than like the beast. It was harder lately, to know the actual difference, but he was confident the night was already over and he didn't need to worry until the next one, the full moon. At least until he smelled her.

Her scent was faint, the wind blowing from their back, but he still felt it. He, the beast, stopped in his tracks. Flesh, blood, food. He shook his head and whined before keeping his way. Partner, however, he was still on his spot. Keith pushed him with his head but he didn't move. He was looking towards the open ground, where the trees didn't cover them anymore. It was dangerous and too close to the woman. Keith bit him, a bit stronger than he usually did, but Partner didn't move. The beast was confused. He was confused. She smelled so good.

Keith whined and pushed and bit, but Partner didn't move and when he did, it was to get closer to her. To the open, to the danger. Keith stood in his way and tried to stop him but he couldn't. Partner just ignored him. Kept on his way. Until he left the forest and Keith didn't dare to follow him.

He could see the woman from his spot, and he thought she could see him too. She ignored him, however, her eyes fixed on the big gray wolf walking towards her. She didn't run. There was no fear in the air, except his own. He didn't understand. She should be scared. Partner should be with him. Why had he left him behind?

He looked to the woman. She seemed young, with dark hair and dark skin. The beast howled to chase her, to bite her and drink her blood. Keith wanted to bite her. It was hard to keep his mind in check, but he still had enough sense to rein his instinct, just for a while. He took a step back, his ears pinned to his head.

Partner, instead, seemed bewitched. His eyes never left her and he was walking, step by step, nearer to her. She was prey, part of him said, that's why his partner followed her with hungry eyes. No. Not prey, Keith reminded to himself. She was not prey. She was a human. He didn't kill humans. He didn't bite humans. Why was Partner walking towards her then? Keith growled but Partner didn't come back. The beast wanted to go after him but Keith knew it would give up to the hunt if they did.

Lance kept walking. He didn't understand. It was hard to keep his feral side in check. It always was, but her being so near made it worst. They should leave, run away, hunt… No. Not hunting humans. No hurting young women. No, no.

The wind changed then, her scent filling his nose and he suddenly understood. She smelled like young, like flesh and blood, like a full belly. Overall, however, she smelled like Lance. Like salt and ocean breeze.

"Come here, brother. It's time for you to come home."

And Keith saw it all, the moment when Lance's nose touched her hand, the one holding clothes. The moment when there was no more fur and claws but soft, tender skin and shaking hands. He saw him raising his hands, hugging her while whispering in her ear, he smelled the tears that left his eyes. A painful weight settled on his back, because he understood Lance was not Partner anymore. There was no mate for his mark anymore. And he fled, ran away not looking back, because he was dangerous and had no place near him anymore. His paws left small marks on the fresh snow, very different from the human footprint at the forest's edge.


	11. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: Characters belong to Dreamworks and Netflix.**

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The moon fell and rose again but it didn't really matter. Keith kept running, until his legs couldn't support him anymore. He ran, trying to leave Lance and all that he meant behind, until he stumbled and fell and couldn't get up anymore. Then the weight settled on his back like a boulder. He'd lost him. He did nothing wrong, this time, but he had still lost him. He whined, unable to cry in this form. He was still stupid after all.

He let himself rest and hope and that's what he got in return. He had been selfish and naive. What right had he to claim him, when Lance had people waiting for him? When he was someone worthy of love and care and everything Keith would have given him if he had the chance. The chance he didn't have anymore.

The snow started to fall again around midday but Keith still didn't move. It buried him slowly, half-hiding his dark coat until he finally got the courage to stand up. He hadn't really wanted to, but the beast was stronger and it didn't want to die. It was confused and it was also hurting, but it was still hungry and furious. The pain made it angry and Keith let it be. He had a fleeting thought about how bad would it be to let the beast take full control, but he couldn't find the strength to care. What did it matter, anyway? There was nothing left for him.

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Keith didn't bother turning back when it was day anymore. Who was Keith anyway? There was only he and a void as big as the starless night sky. An empty space beating at the same rate his heart did, shaped in the form of a broken bond. It felt like a missing limb, like he only had one lung to breathe. It hurt, and neither the wounds nor the hunger had ever caused him so much pain.

The world was empty, an empty field with only the snow changing from time to time. It was as cold as he felt inside where there should be something but it wasn't. He ran day and night, searching for food or a distraction or anything but the pain of knowing what he had lost. He ate when he wanted and he wanted all the time but winter made it harder to find anything alive. It didn't matter, however, because then he could run and run until he wasn't able to do it anymore.

The sun rose and fell. So did the moon. It filled again and he felt more and more comfortable in the wolf form. Why wouldn't he? His body was perfect, its body was perfect. There was no need for names or clothes or friends. There was no need for Keith.

What was a Keith anyway? Could it eat it? Would it made it feel less empty, less alone, less pained? What was that faint voice? There was no prey in that voice. Prey usually didn't have any. It was hungry. It wanted to eat. Something, anything, warm flesh and fresh blood to fill its belly. Maybe that would help. It howled to the dying moon and ran, chasing a faint scent that would lead it to food.

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Prey ran away from it. Everything ran away from it. Not that it mattered, because the beast was faster and better than all of them. It would let them get confident, let them think they had lost it, just to jump at their necks a moment after. It would tear their flesh apart, pin them to the ground and feel the blood flooding its mouth. It was exhilarating and fulfilling, but it only lasted for a moment. As soon as the meat got cold, the warmth would leave the beast's bones and it needed to run again, to chase, to patch the severed bond with a pulsing heart near its own. When it stopped, however, the pain came back. The beast would howl to the moon or the sun, whatever was up in the sky, and would start the hunt again.

Sleep wasn't easy. The void and the hunger wouldn't let it rest until it was collapsing from exhaustion and even then it would be hard for it to close its eyes and rest. Its dreams were full of things the beast couldn't make sense of, with humans and smiles and bodies that weren't meant to be broken by its jaw. Even then, the beast longed for them, longed for the dreams to stay just a bit longer, keeping the pain back. But they didn't, and as soon as it woke up, it would need to run again.

The beast fought a bear once, because it couldn't stop at the blood call. It knew it couldn't do it alone, and for a moment it looked back, searching for a silhouette that wasn't there anymore. The absence hurt and the beast jumped over the bear. Its bones breaking distracted it enough to forget the shape that should be there but wasn't.

The beast was reckless. The beast was hurting. It killed everything in its path and that prompted things to chase it too. The beast ran in a straight line and that made it easier for humans to ambush it, but they failed every time. It was faster and stronger. It could hear them and smell them from far away.

It was still tired though, and they managed to hurt it a few times. It had to escape a few times. They always came back though. Some nights were better, when there was a storm or heavy snow. The humans didn't come and neither did prey, but at least it could run freely. It wasn't as good as hunting but it was still better than staying still.

Stopping, even for a moment, made the beast feel heavy. It made it hard to get up again, to take another step. It made it feel empty and lonely, longing for another howl to be heard near its ears. One that never came. It would be then when the beast would get up, just a second before the weight made it impossible. Then the hunger would return and the beast would run again.

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The moon was full and up in the sky when he encountered the smell. A smell it knew. It was a scent that hurt but also brought back conflicting instincts. It felt the need to chase, to hunt and drink that blood that smelled so good, but he also wanted to run. Run far away from the smell, where the beast couldn't smell it anymore and it couldn't hurt it either. The beast shook its head. Prey was prey. It wouldn't run.

The beast howled to the full moon and gave chase.

Once it got closer, however, once the smell fully hit it, the beast stopped. Something wasn't right. A voice inside it was screaming to get away, to forgive and forget this prey. The beast couldn't understand. Prey was prey. Why did its scent make it doubt? Prey was prey.

However, the beast took its time getting closer. Step by step, until it found the source. A human. A single human, alone in the forest, with its back turned to the beast. So easy. Yet, it hesitated. Instead of a deep howl, what came from its throat was a whine, weak and shameful. The human turned around and saw it.

The beast growled, ready to defend itself, but the human didn't attack. They just stayed there, looking at each other, and for the first time in a long time the beast was content with staying still. The human brought peace, even when it didn't make sense. Then it spoke.

"It's you."

As if a spell was broken, the beast felt everything again. The hunger, the void, the anger were all back, as well as a new thing that it hadn't had a name for.

"It had to be you. When I-" It stopped when the beast shook its head and then its whole body. Its smell flashed, showing something very close to what the beast had felt itself for so long. Why would the human feel the pain though? What could humans know about voids and pain.

"I'm sorry it took me so long." The human walked towards it, something hanging from its arm. Something that looked and smelled familiar but the beast couldn't remember why. It had a fleeting thought of leaving before it was too late but it couldn't. It couldn't take its eyes from the human.

"I promised I wouldn't leave, didn't I? Please trust me." It said that as he extended its hand, trying to reach for the beast. When had it gotten so close?

The beast growled, confused. There was blood and flesh, warm and near it but it didn't feel right to bite.

"Keith."

The word stung and the beast whined, taking some steps back. The human came closer and the beast snapped at its extended hand. The human recoiled a bit but it didn't smell like fear. The beast did. It was scared and it didn't know why. The human had hurt it and the beast couldn't remember why, how nor when. The human also lessened the void. Its pain was still aching, deep inside, but it was calmer and it urged the beast to get closer and nuzzle against the human.

Humans were dangerous. They were also tasty. Their blood was always tastier than any other prey and the beast knew this one would be even better. Its blood was almost singing, and the beast wanted to tear its throat and drink. But it couldn't. Its hunger and the void were fighting and the beast couldn't move. The hunger said to rip off the tasty flesh. The void said its blood would taste bitter on its tongue, like it did before.

The beast shook its head and took another step back, growling and whining, hiding from the moon's light as if that would make it easier to understand what was happening. The human kneeled in front, still talking.

"Please don't run. I know I hurt you. I know you're scared, Keith. Please."

The beast liked that sound. Its voice, whispered something forgotten on its mind. You liked its voice. His voice.

"Keith."

That was something important, wasn't it? The human said it once and again, and the beast shook, scared. What was it? What had it forgotten? Why did this human hurt when no one else did before?

"Keith."

The beast was lonely. The beast wanted its Partner. But Partner was lost, wasn't it? Wasn't he? Was that the thing the beast had forgotten?

"Come here." Its hand came closer, and so did that faint smell so similar to its own and yet different. In the way the human was different.

The beast snapped again, but this time the human didn't move and it caught its hand. It didn't dare to press, to actually hurt. The beast didn't dare to break the skin and that scared it. It couldn't hurt him. It couldn't. It was wrong, no matter how scared it was. The beast couldn't hurt him so it gave up. It did. He did. His snout touched the hand, nuzzled into it and the void disappeared. The pain left. For a moment, everything was too loud and too bright and his body hurt.

And then Keith was there, kneeling on the snowy ground, his fisted hands tearing into Lance's shirt because he couldn't believe he was here, that he came back. And he was crying, so much he couldn't breathe between the sobs. But Lance was here, hugging him closer, keeping him together while the world shifted around. While it broke into pieces just to be remade again.

"It's okay." He whispered in his ear. "You are okay. I won't leave you. Ever."

The meaning behind the words was lost at that moment, but just hearing his voice was enough to make him realize he was really there, that he wasn't dreaming. Breathing was hard and so was thinking, but Lance was there and it was enough. It was always enough to make everything right.

When he finally stopped crying, Keith felt tired like he hadn't felt in years. There was no strength left in his limbs and he couldn't even manage to voice his weakness. It wasn't necessary anyway, because Lance understood anyway.

"Don't worry pretty boy. I'll take you home this time."

Keith closed his eyes, his head falling on Lance's shoulder while he hoisted his body up. It was fine. He was safe. Lance was back. Lance would keep him safe. It would be okay.


	12. Outro

**Disclaimer: Characters belong to Dreamworks and Netflix.**

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 _So that's how the story goes. The howling beast was defeated by something way stronger than itself. Fate intertwined their lives so much that not even a curse older than themselves could keep them apart. Proving that even monsters may fall, for love and hope._

 _Details may disappear, and stories may turn into legends, into myths, but the essence behind them remains. The struggle between the ugly side of the world and that "something" that makes us human, that keeps the beasts at bay and lets us be us. Whatever it may be, for each one._

 _So our story about those two boys ends here, and you may keep it with you or let it go, as you wish. Tonight, remember to close the door, but don't forget, sometimes the monsters stay with us because they live within ourselves._


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